The MacBook Air has some competition from Acer this year, as it readies not just a computer that’s slim and light, but should survive a drop if it comes to that.
IFA may well be known as the world’s mid-year technology show with big TVs and robotic vacuums aplenty, but it’s a place computer makers show up talking what’s new, as well.
And it’s one Acer is talking up some gear made for a world where a laptop should survive a little more than the inside of your backpack.
Fresh from Acer’s design lab is a laptop made for work in the TravelMate X4, a 1.59cm thick laptop with a 1.27kg weight, 14 inch screen, the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, and something few laptops sport: a MIL-STD-810H military spec certification.
That specification means the X4 can survive more than the odd chance encounter with a tumble, handling vibrations and humidity, and potentially a disastrous fall. We wouldn’t go out of our way to throw the laptop around, but a military spec certifications should ease the mind that little bit more.
Intel’s hardware also keeps the system ticking along with up to a Core Ultra 7 258V, which also means its supports Windows 11’s AI features should you want to use them, plus an assortment of ports including Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, a couple of USB-A rectangular ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and even an HDMI port.
The TravelMate X4 14 inch will land in Australia for $2499 in the near future, and be joined by a couple of projectors launched alongside, plus some gaming gear, as well.
One of these is the Nitro V 16S, a 16 inch laptop sporting an Intel Core 7 “H” chip, the kind made for performance. It’ll be paired with a fairly meaty graphics chip, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, while the screen sports a 180Hz refresh rate, a little faster than the 120 and 144Hz offerings from other laptops.
Gaming is clearly the focus here, but keeping prices down is also a factor, sporting a local price of $2599 in Australia when it launches in September.
At the same event, Acer also talked up a new generation of its Spatial Labs gaming 3D laptop, though there’s no word on pricing or availability locally, and that’s true of a few other computers, including a variety of Acer Chromebooks, Chromebox desktops, and even the Acer Swift Air 16, a thin and light challenger to Apple’s 15 inch MacBook Air, and a laptop likely to face off against LG’s own 16 inch Gram.
There were even new tablets on the way, with a device or two that looks to take on Apple’s iPad and even the likes of Samsung’s recent Galaxy Tab refresh.
But one thing we have confirmed is that Acer will have a hefty gaming desktop on the way to Australia, arriving in the Predator Orion 7000.
A little meatier than a mere tablet, the Orion 7000 is machine sporting up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, up to 128GB RAM, up to 6TB SSD, Thunderbolt 4, WiFi 7, a GeForce RTX 5090, and a price tag starting from $8199 in Australia when it launches next year. That’s one of those machines where if you know you know. And if you know, be prepared to part ways with a lot of money for the privilege.
